Ordinary 17C

The Lord be with you.And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We give you thanks, O Lord, with all our heart;
in the face of all that would claim our loyalty,
we choose to sing praise to only you.
We praise your love and faithfulness,
which are revealed in all that you called into being;
from the farthest wonders of space,
to the deepest mysteries of our hearts.
You made a promise by your name
that you would be faithful to your people forever,
and you have always upheld your covenant.

We celebrate especially the gift of your own Son, Jesus Christ,
whom we confess as the Lord of life,
who offers forgiveness and grace to all,
who has called us once and always to return to you.
For the sake of Christ,
we join with all your faithful ones,
who forever sing praise and glory to your name:

Holy, holy, holy…

Holy and blessed are you, O Lord,
for you have come to care for those who are lowly
and set right the broken ways of our world.
By your Holy Spirit,
you give us the gift of your presence
through this meal that seals your promise within us.

Trusting in your promise,
we lift up before you those who struggle or suffer,
those who battle enemies of body, mind, or spirit.
Make good your purpose for all your people,
as we entrust ourselves to your enduring love,
in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, saying:The Lord’s Prayer

Jesus promises that everyone who asks will receive.
At this table, we receive the presence of Christ in the gift of bread and cup.
Jesus promises that everyone who seeks will find.
If you seek the presence of Christ, we pray that you will find him at this table.
Jesus promises that for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
On behalf of the church universal, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are welcome to this table!

O God our Father,
we pray for the world you love so much.
Let all things reflect your goodness and glorify your name.
Let your promises be fulfilled,
so that all people share right relationship with you and each other.

We pray for ourselves,
and we recognize our desires for all the things we think we need.
In your wisdom and love, give us what we truly need today.
Give us the will and the opportunity to share what we have with others.
May all be fed, and filled, and healed.

We acknowledge our sin before you,
and we humbly pray for your forgiveness
and for the forgiveness of those we have wronged.
More than that, we pray for those who owe us an apology,
and we declare our intent to forgive them.

We pray for our lives,
for the life of this church,
and for the life of this world.
Let suffering cease, doubt and fear be conquered,
and guide us always in the right path.

We pray in the name of our great Teacher,
the one who gave us prayer in these words:

God of grace, we confess that we are more eager to receive your mercy than we are to extend your kindness to others. We ask for what we need without considering whether we have what someone else needs. We seek your forgiveness but hold grudges against others. We want you to lead us, but only if you will send us where we want to go. By your grace, we want to turn this around. We choose to give you more than we think we can spare; to forgive even those who have yet to ask for forgiveness; to follow you wherever you choose to lead us. Receive our commitment to new life, in Jesus’ matchless name.